Soccer is one of the most popular sports for little ones of all ages. It’s an exciting game full of muddy knees, last-minute goals, and bizarre celebrations.
If you’re looking for some gifts for the soccer-mad boys in your life, we’ve got you covered. We’ve included the world’s best soccer gifts for boys, with lots of practical equipment, plus some weird, wacky, and unusual items. So you’re not limited to balls and cleats! In fact, we’ve run the gamut of soccer gifts, from coloring books to training equipment and hovering indoor balls.
So whether it’s for your son, your brother, or someone else, we’ve got the perfect gift for the soccer-mad boy in your life.
Contents
Factors to Consider When Buying Soccer Gifts for Boys
Our list includes exciting gifts for boys of all ages and personalities. We’ve assessed each one as follows.
Age Range
Not all gifts are made equal! We’ve included some stuff for older boys, some for younger boys, and some which everyone will love. To aid your buying decision, we’ve separated our list by the following age groups and searched the web for the best in each category.
Who It’s For
We’ve also included some options for both indoor and outdoor use. Whatever the age, needs, and personality of the boy you’re buying for, we’ve got the perfect gift for them.
Best Features
We’ve highlighted the best features, so you know exactly what you’re buying – and exactly what’s so good about it.
Design
No-one wants to buy poorly designed products. We’ve unpacked each gift’s design, so you know how they all look and perform.
Durability
You don’t want a gift that’ll be useless five minutes from now, so each of our reviews assesses durability to give you insight into how robust it’s likely to be.
We’ve also included a list of pros and cons to help you pick the perfect gift for the soccer-mad boy in your life.
Here are our top picks for the best soccer gifts for boys.
Top 4 Best Soccer Gifts for Boys Aged 3-6 2024
1. Talkin’ Sports Interactive Soccer Ball
Editor’s Rating:
Who It’s For
This is excellent for young ones who are starting to show an interest in soccer, but will find extra value in the engaging songs and soft effects that come with it.
Best Features
This ball plays 2 unique soccer-themed songs and around 40 different phrases and sound effects, too. We love how these balls can recognize different movements (like throwing and shaking), which inspire your child to keep active rather than simply engaging in repetitive button-pressing. It’s also soft enough for younger boys to go full-throttle with and not have to worry about injury.
Design
The ball is made from a soft, stuffed plush material with a plastic sound-box within. In our experience, the plush casing is more than sufficient to keep the sound-box safe, and the stitching on the plush material is durable enough for indoor play.
Just don’t expect it to last for years if it’s being used outside often and in need of a weekly wash.
Durability
It all depends on how it’s played with. It’s machine-washable and as long as you’re careful when removing the sound-box for washing, you shouldn’t have too many issues here. But nothing lasts forever and boys pushing 7-years-old may play a little rough.
- Can be used both indoors and outdoors
- Small and soft so won’t risk injury
- Machine-washable
- Won’t withstand regular rough, outdoor play
2. Kaskey Kids Soccer Guys
Editor’s Rating:
Who It’s For
This gift is best for young creatives who can get lost in their own imaginative worlds. They can use the plastic pieces to create their own matches and play out their footballing dreams from the comfort of their own bedroom.
The pieces can also be used to explain rules to younger children who are starting to become increasingly interested in the technicalities of soccer, but who would also benefit from visual examples.
Best Features
We love the flexibility that this set offers. As all of the figures are separate from the playing field, only the imagination of your little one limits play here. We also find the detail offered on the figures to be impressive for the price.
Design
The individual pieces stand at around 3” tall and they come with two goals, a ball, and a soccer pitch playmat, that’s made from a felt-like material.
Durability
We also like how the manufacturer sells replacement parts (both balls and players). It’s easy to misplace one or more of these small plastic pieces, and especially for those interested in a tactics, a lost or damaged piece could spoil the entire set.
Of course, these come at an extra cost, but many similar sets don’t sell replacement figures at all.
- Replacement pieces are available
- Ideal for imaginative play
- Can be used for tactical learning with older kids
- Small pieces may be lost by younger kids
3. Adidas Youth X Shin Guards
Editor’s Rating:
Who It’s For
Anyone who wants to stay safe and injury-free!
These are available in small, medium, and large, but the small size is most suitable for boys in this 3-6 age bracket. We expect they will fit most kids, but if the boy you’re buying for is pushing 7, or has much larger than average legs, medium might be a safer pick.
Best Features
The shin guards are very robust, so they provide excellent shielding against bruising and injury. These should combat even the hardest of poor challenges, so they’re perfect if the boy you’re buying for often plays in rough games.
They have ankle guards for extra coverage and extra ankle support.
Design
Crafted from EVA for comfort and cushion, these are hardy and protective without being uncomfortable. Many shin guards sacrifice comfort in order to offer security, but that’s not the case here.
Because of the single-strap design which some color varieties have, they’re easy to get on and off, which is perfect for quick in-game adjustments. That said, you might not even need these straps – soccer socks are often strong enough to keep shin guards in place.
Durability
These are very durable. Shin guards are built specifically to be durable and sturdy. And these do the job fantastically. These will last a very long time.
- Provide excellent protection against injury
- Excellent durability
- Shin guards are essential soccer kit shin and these are excellent
- Practical, but not a particularly exciting gift
4. Collapsible Soccer Water Bottle
Editor’s Rating:
Who It’s For
Truly, boys of any age can enjoy this water bottle. While it’s suitable as a gift for those at 3-6, kids at this age won’t outgrow it any time soon. The wide mouth lid makes drinking from it easy enough, even for the younger ones, and it’s robust enough to last for years if washed carefully.
Best Features
It’s a BPA-free water bottle, made from hypoallergenic and food-grade silicone. But the stand out feature is the collapsible design. It has a 7 Oz. capacity when folded and a 19 Oz capacity when extended.
Design
We’re big fans of the collapsible design of this bottle. It makes it perfectly sized for backpacks and sports bags, but it’s also extendible. When extended, it can be filled with enough water to satisfy somebody who’s parched from all that in-game action. Plus, there’s a spill-proof lid that does a good job of holding up to its name.
Durability
Unfortunately, while it’s advertised as being dish-washer safe, we wouldn’t recommend dishwashing cleaning as standard. Sure, it’ll withstand the occasional machine wash, but if you want to keep the spill-proof lid intact, we suggest you do the majority of cleaning via hand-washing.
The silicone base does make it shatterproof though, so you need to worry about breakages.
- Compact enough to fit within a backpack
- Clever no-spill design prevents mess
- Shatterproof silicone means no dangerous broken parts
- Frequent dishwasher cleaning may damage seal
Top 4 Best Soccer Gifts for Boys Aged 7-10 2024
1. Timex Boys Soccer Strap Watch
Editor’s Rating:
Who It’s For
This Timex kids watch is perfect for younger soccer fans, especially those who are learning to tell the time or just want to track the time until kick-off!
Best Features
In added to the labeled clock hands, this watch is also water-resistant to 30m. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should use it in the swimming pool. But there’s no rush to take it off during a heavy downpour, so it’s as suitable for winter wear as it is for the summer.
Design
The elasticated fabric strap means it will contour to fit wrists of different sizes. It’s also very comfortable to wear, and light enough that it doesn’t need to be taken off during sporting activities. Plus, the water-resistance means a little sweat won’t damage the inner mechanics, either.
Durability
Of course, watch batteries don’t last forever and this is the only drawback we found. While they’re not too difficult to switch-out, they are rather expensive.
- 30m water resistance
- The labeled clock hands make time-telling easy
- Fabric strap suits wrists of different sizes
- Replacement batteries are expensive
2. Best Budget Soccer Gift for Boys: Soccer Activity Book
Editor’s Rating:
Who It’s For
If you have kids who like coloring, puzzles, brain teasers, and doodling, they’ll absolutely love this. This is great proof that not all soccer activities have to involve blasting a ball around.
Best Features
There aren’t any nifty hidden features here, but there’s plenty of fun-packed inside the compact book. With 64 pages of puzzling, coloring, creativity, and more, it’s an excellent tool for passing plenty of time
All of the instructions in the book are very clear and simple, so it’s not going to confuse the younger ones within this age range.
Design
The book has been designed by an education expert, so it has lots of excellent content. It’s crafted by the Future Teaching Foundation, who provide a huge amount of excellent educational resources for kids. The designs are really fun, bold, and aesthetic, too.
Durability
Like most books, this has good durability. But it’s worth noting that once all of the puzzles and coloring pages have been used, they can’t be used again – so this book, of course, has a limited shelf life.
- Perfect for those shopping on a budget
- Ideal indoor entertainment
- Great for brain stimulation
- Once all of the pages are filled and completed, the book is no longer of any use
3. Sean Wants to Be Messi Book
Editor’s Rating:
Who It’s For
It’s a great pick for adults who are trying to encourage kids to read. Many kids think they hate reading, but if you can pick up a sporty book for a sporty kid, there’s a much better chance that they’ll entertain the notion of reading it.
Plus, with a great moral takeaway message about working hard for your goals, it’s not just about soccer – it’s also about being a good person.
Best Features
The story! Sean has to overcome fear, bullies, and his homework to get to where he wants to be. It’s a tale with heart and soul – and because it’s about Messi, most soccer-fervent kids will love it. Based on one of the most famous soccer players in the world, all soccer-mad kids can connect with this story.
If you want to talk to your kids about emotions, feelings and experiences in an easy way, this book can be an excellent gateway into doing just that, as it deals with frustration, working hard and believing in yourself. The illustrations are great too and help to keep kids entertained while they read.
Design
With a good story, good moral, and good illustrations, it’s a great all-rounder! We also love that you can buy the book in paperback, hardcover, and for Kindle, so you have lots of different design options.
Durability
Unless your kids decide to kick this book into the top corner of a soccer net, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t stick around for years to come.
- Helps improve reading
- Educational benefit that’s taught through soccer
- Good moral takeaway message
- Might run a little short for some – it’s 36 pages
4. WisToyz Hover Soccer Ball Set
Editor’s Rating:
Who It’s For
It’s built for gentle indoor play. The pack has two goals along with a hovering ball, so it’s perfect for playing a mini-game of gentle soccer indoors.
If you have a dog, this is even better – your kids can have a game of soccer with your dog! Because it has built-in LED lights, it’s visually stimulating too.
Best Features
The standout feature here is the intelligent design of the product. The hover ball uses a fan to raise it slightly off the ground. That means that your kids can kick it around your house without it damaging any of your floors.
The foam bumper around the entire rim of the ball stops the ball from damaging any of your furniture, fixtures, or fittings. All fun and no damage – perfect! It even works on low pile carpet.
As we’ve mentioned, the ball comes with two goals, so it’s perfect for a mini competitive game at home. The pack even includes a small inflatable ball if you get tired of kicking the flat one around.
Design
The built-in LED light makes playing even more fun and exciting. To operate the light, you need four batteries. These batteries aren’t included in the pack.
The two goals are very easy to assemble, so you can simply and easily get them up and in use in no time.
Durability
This isn’t the most durable item on this list and is prone to breaking with frequent use. But unless your kids are very rough with it, it should be absolutely fine.
- Good price point
- Fantastic for bad weather
- The LED lights add an extra layer of fun
- Doesn’t have the best durability
Top 4 Best Soccer Gifts for Boys Aged 11-13 2024
1. SKLZ Star-Kick Solo Soccer Trainer
Editor’s Rating:
Who It’s For
This is perfect for stay-at-home days, training while injured, or simply as a way to improve technical skills
Best Features
It’s an incredible tool for improving skill play, especially in receiving the ball and refining that all-important first touch. Impressively, the cord stretches up to 5.5 meters, making it a wonderful tool for individual goalkeeper training, too.
Design
This solo soccer training is made from a neoprene ball glove that will fit ball sizes 3-5. So if the soccer-mad boy in your life has different sized soccer balls, or expects to graduate to a full-sized size 5 ball in the future, this trainer will work with them all.
Plus, it comes with an adjustable hook and loop. This means it will fit players of most sizes, so you needn’t worry about rapid growth spurts.
One thing to watch out for: the speed of the return. If you kick the ball hard, it’ll come back hard too, and not always at the angle that you expect. As long as caution is exercised this shouldn’t be a major issue, but injuries are possible.
Durability
Durability is effectively a non-issue here. While it is possible for the cord to snap, in practice this is a rarity and shouldn’t put you off buying this product. The material is well-made and is unlikely to fray or split, even with heavy use.
- Works with different soccer ball sizes
- Adjustable hook and loop to fit boys of different ages
- Ideal solution to at home training
- Ball return speed can lead to injuries
2. Franklin Sports Blackhawk Portable Soccer Goal
Editor’s Rating:
Who It’s For
Whether your boy is a striker or a keeper, there’s not a player on the field that doesn’t love scoring a goal. This gift is ideal for matches with friends in the park, as well as at-home shot training. As it’s portable, you can do both.
Best Features
This Franklin Sports portable goal is strong and stable and remains rigid even in adverse weather conditions. Still, it’s portability is perhaps the best feature. That’s because it has an ‘easy-fold’ mechanism, whereby the goal can be folded in half and easily picked up and moved across the field.
Design
There are four different sizes available, so you needn’t be concerned about it not fitting in the back yard, or taking up too much space when folded.
Plus, it comes in three colors: black, optic yellow, or pink. In our experience, the optic yellow is the better choice here – it’ll stick out against any background and in any weather conditions.
The easy-fold mechanism makes it portable, plus it’s lightweight and even comes with a handy carry bag for simple transportation.
Durability
This portable goal is incredibly durable and you can expect this to last for several years.
The fiberglass poles and reinforced steel corners are robust, but of course, this shouldn’t be compared to a fixed, full-size goal. If the crossbar is rattled too many times by powerful shots, some shape distortion is bound to occur eventually.
- 4 size options
- 3 color choices
- Lightweight and portable
- Easy to set up
- Powerful shots may warp bar shape
3. Best Overall Soccer Gift for Boys: GlowCity Light up LED Soccer Ball
Editor’s Rating:
Who It’s For
This is the perfect gift for kids who get frustrated that they can’t play soccer after dark. As kids, we’ve all been there. The sun sets, and though the game isn’t over, play has to be delayed until daylight hits again. But with this bright ball, that problem is avoided! Because the ball is illuminated by LED lights, you can continue playing anywhere, whether it’s a park, a pitch, or a garden.
Watching kids play with this in the dark is like watching something from a sci-fi movie. It’s not just practical, it’s also super fun!
Best Features
Of course, the best feature here is the LED lighting – it can be seen from a few hundred meters away and is illuminated by contact. Whenever the ball is kicked, it’s then lit up for the next thirty seconds. In a game of soccer, the lights should practically never go out.
Design
This ball glows red and has black patches. But there are many other designs available – black with red patches, white with red patches, and black with red star patches. Most balls are size 5 (standard full-size), but there’s also one ball in size 3, which is perfect for younger players.
The ball emits 2 very strong LED lights. Batteries are easy to replace and last for up to 30 hours of play. The ball comes with a second set of batteries, but it’s easy enough to buy more when these are drained. Of course, they’ll come at an additional cost.
While this ball won’t play as well as a properly-stitched standard ball, for use in the dark, you absolutely won’t find anything better.
Durability
The ball is made from nylon, making it super strong and durable and highly impressive for the price point. Unfortunately, you will have to inflate it yourself.
- For playing soccer in the dark, this is the only worthwhile solution
- Fantastic for all ages
- Good durability
- The ball doesn’t come inflated – you have to inflate it yourself
4. Soccer LED Lamp
Editor’s Rating:
Who It’s For
If your soccer-crazy boy wants a lamp or a nightlight, this is for them. The LED lamp casts an image of a soccer ball for a really cool piece of decoration.
The lamp offers seven different color options – you can set the lamp to display one constant color or to shift between the different colors. No matter your boy’s favorite color, they will love this!
Best Features
It’s really easy to switch between colors, so it’s simple for kids to use themselves. The design of the illumination is trendy and funky, so kids will like having this in their bedroom. Having a night light can be a little uncool. But having this isn’t.
This plugs right into the outlet, so it doesn’t require batteries. But it only comes with a USB cable, so if you want to charge it from the wall, you’ll have to connect it to a plug head yourself.
Design
The illumination contrasts nicely with the black base, making for a very aesthetic design. Although the illumination is 2D, it actually looks 3D, so it’s pretty cool.
Durability
Fantastic durability. This should last you a long time, which is great considering the pretty low price point.
- Multiple color options
- Very nice aesthetic
- Kids and adults alike will like the design
- Only comes with USB cable
Top 3 Best Soccer Gifts for Boys Aged 14+ 2024
1. Pro Agility Ladder and Cones
Editor’s Rating:
Who It’s For
This is typically designed for more advanced players and older kids who are looking to improve their fitness. Though any kid can use it, young ones might not have the abilities required to really get the most out of this equipment.
If you have a kid who’s in training or considering starting real training, this gift is excellent. It massively helps with becoming more fit and improving ball control and footwork. It can also be a great way to get fit along with your kids, and it offers a really fun family activity for families who like to stay active.
Best Features
Aside from the ladder and cones themselves, there are pieces of equipment included to make their use more practical. There are four metal ground anchors to keep the ladder in place, along with a bag for carrying all the equipment.
The rungs on the ladder are equally spaced from one another, and fixed in place, so they won’t slip and slide around during training sessions. The straps are tangle-free.
Design
This set is available in blue, red, yellow, and pink, so there’s a color scheme perfect for whoever you’re buying it for!
The ladder has 12 steps, and the set comes with a 20-page PDF. This PDF has a number of speed and conditioning drills to help kids become fitter, stronger, and better at the game.
Made from affordable but quality materials, this is an excellent selection of high-quality equipment.
Durability
Excellent. This selection of equipment is made from great materials, so this will stay with you for a long while.
- Great piece of equipment for older kids
- Helps to improve performance and fitness
- Can make for a great family activity
- Excellent for keeping fit
- Not suitable for younger kids
2. Nike Pitch Training Soccer Ball
Editor’s Rating:
Who It’s For
Believe it or not, this is for anyone who likes to play soccer. But because it’s a robust, well-crafted ball, it’s best for older kids who can make the most of it. Still, it’s available in sizes 3, 4, and 5 (standard soccer ball size is 5), so there’s something for everyone.
Best Features
The aesthetic is the best part of this ball. It’s got the Nike tick along with a classy spin on a classic design. It doesn’t have many other exciting features. It is, after all, just a ball. But it’s a very good one.
Design
Looks good, performs well, and plays excellently. The ball is built with a rubber bladder for better shape retention. While some soccer balls wind up looking like an egg after too many games, this one won’t. Built with 12 panels, it’s designed to stay in shape no matter how powerful you can strike the ball.
Durability
It’s important to note that this ball loses air a little quicker than some other top-quality balls, so you might have to fpump it up with air rather frequently.
- Great durability
- Built to retain its shape
- Available in sizes 3, 4 and 5
- Deflates a little too frequently
3. Best Premium Soccer Gift for Boys: Adidas Predator 19.3 Cleats
Editor’s Rating:
Who It’s For
Predator cleats have been used by players such as Ozil, Pogba, and Dele Ali. If they’re good enough for those guys, they’re good enough for your kids! They’re available in a wide range of sizes.
Best Features
Predators have long been some of the best cleats on the market. And there are lots of great features in these cleats to make your kids’ game shine. They’ve got a snug feel, and a finish that promotes better ball control.
Design
This is where these are really great. Made for firm ground, they’re excellent in tough conditions, but they’re also suitable for reasonably soft ground. They offer grip, stability, and fantastic traction, for a brilliant all-around performance.
Lightweight and intelligent, these cleats will improve the game of any soccer-mad kid. Notably, these run a little narrow, so you may want to consider sizing up.
Durability
Adidas makes very durable soccer cleats, and these are some of the best. Expect to get multiple seasons worth of use, without issue.
- Some of the best soccer cleats on the market
- Great durability
- They really enhance performance
- They run a little narrow
- Expensive
Final Thoughts
Regardless of the age of the boy you’re buying for, we’ve got something great for them on this list. Everything we’ve included is a perfect gift for the right person.
So whether the boy you’re buying for wants to improve their skills and technique on the pitch or just find a fun soccer-based distraction, there’ll be something perfect on this list!